Architects start fundraising to build real-life Minas Tirith

An enthusiastic architecture team from the UK started their fundraiser to build a full-sized replica of the Lord of the Rings city, Minas Tirith. The projects’ estimated cost is $2.9 billion and the team is looking to reach their goal within 60 days. The project seems almost too extraordinary to be real, but you can find all the details (or donate) on their Indiegogo page.

As expected, the team is a bunch of Tolkien fans who want to see one of the trilogies most iconic cities come to life. They make it clear what they hope to accomplish with a project of this magnitude: “We all share a love of Tolkien’s work, and a desire to challenge the common perception of community and architecture. We believe that, in realizing Minas Tirith, we could create not only the most remarkable tourist attraction on the planet, but also a wonderfully unique place to live and work.” Given the massive scale of Minas Tirith, the team plans on making the city a self-sustainable community where people can live and work.

Here is a breakdown of their expected costs:

Building costs- $23.4 million

Labor- $293.6 million

Building materials- $2.2 billion

The remainder would be put into public services and community upkeep.

Even though the project is unlikely to meets its goals, it’s nice to see such dedicated fans looking to recreate a piece of the Tolkien universe. The fundraiser is currently at $100,000 so the team still has a long way to go before reaching their goals.

You can follow the project’s updates on twitter @realiseminas, or donate on the their Indiegogo page.